


sunrise dreams

by chenkun



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3380258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenkun/pseuds/chenkun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Harklight sees Slaine drink.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sunrise dreams

When you’re living in space, you lose track of time and you don’t really know if it’s morning or night. Or when sunrise or sunset happens.

Harklight has no concept of morning or night, let alone sunrise or sunset. He has only seen images and footage of this sunrise or sunset thing when he was by the chamber down the hallways just a few days ago, waiting for his master to finish his daily visits with the princess. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, he never did but Harklight was always curious what the topics of conversation with the princess even though she probably hears and feels nothing.

“Harklight-san?”

Harklight is jolted back to reality with a voice and he looks at the source of the voice.

“This is the report of the adjustments we made with Tharsis.”

Harklight takes the report and mutters a soft _good work_. He views it slowly and attentively, making sure each and every part his master requested was done and carried out perfectly. Nothing was more important than his master’s orders on this base. 

When his master is not found in his working chambers, there are only two other places he would be. One would be in the forbidden chamber down the hallway even restricted to Harklight unless permitted; two, would be in his resting chambers.

Taking into account that his master had done his daily visits with the sleeping princess that day, Harklight decides that his master should be back in his resting chambers. In which he also decides that it is time for Harklight to retire for the day.

He turns on his heels, away from his master’s work-piled chambers and heads off check on his master before retiring for the day.

What he comes across is something unusual.

True enough, his master is back in his resting chambers and also to Harklight’s surprise, his master is sitting (if not, sinking) into the couch and a glass of wine in his hands.

“Harklight?”

“Yes?”

There is no response from his master, Harklight does not know if his master is drunk or if his master just wanted a confirmation that it was he. Whatever it is, Harklight stays rooted to the spot and does not budge an inch while he watches his master pour more wine into his glass clumsily.

“It is unusual to see you drinking, Slaine-sama.” Harklight comments after noticing the deep flush on Slaine’s cheeks.

“Is it that unusual to see me drinking?” Slaine asks, repeating Harklight’s comments.

“Yes.”

Slaine gulps down the wine and pulls off the coat off his shoulders. He glances over at Harklight and then looks out the window.

“Have you ever wondered what the sunrise looks like?” 

“No, Slaine-sama.”

“It’s beautiful. The colours and light visible in the sky on the time of the sun’s first appearance in the morning, the Earth is such a beautiful place.”

Harklight did not understand what his master is trying to imply. Even so, he stayed rooted to his spot and eyes never leaving his master, even as he does not see the expression on Slaine's face.

“The sunset is as beautiful as the sunrise, if not even more so. The sky is almost like a canvas, painted by the light. Sometimes it’s painted in the colours of Princess Asseylum’s hair, sometimes in the colours of the roses she loves.”

There is a short silence while Slaine refills his wine for the last time.

“I miss it.”

Harklight blinks once, not processing what his master is trying to tell him.

“I miss being on Earth, Harklight. I miss my family and I miss the days when I was free to do whatever I wished.”

Slaine laughs and _I’m so stupid_. He lets out a small laughter and Harklight catches his master’s laughter between faraway glances and fake smiles. He never would have thought his master missed being on Earth because he had almost forgotten he did live on Earth once. He had almost forgotten that his master is just a young boy who had so much future ahead of him, so many things he could do.

Harklight finds himself at a loss of words, unsure how to comfort his master because he had never seen him so weak, so broken. When the silence has become too long to bear, Harklight takes a step closer to say something, but no words could roll out of his mouth. He didn’t know how to comfort Slaine; he could not find the words to soothe his master. However, he stops in his tracks when he sees that Slaine has fallen asleep to the alcohol.

Harklight slips the wine glass out of his master’s hands and places it carefully onto the table without a sound. With a deep breath, he scoops Slaine up without much effort and takes a mental note to make his master eat more because _this_ is definitely not the weight of an average teenage boy.

He sets his small master down on his bed and slips off his shoes. He notices the flush on his neck when he unbuttons his shirt to let him sleep better. It was probably the alcohol. 

It isn’t the first time Harklight has helped his master undress, but it was the first time Harklight has helped his master undress while he was (probably) half drunk and unconscious.

Making sure his master is tucked in bed comfortably; he pulls the covers up only to be stopped by Slaine holding his wrist.

“Sleep with me,” Slaine says between a slur and a hiccup.

Harklight almost falls over and onto his master, but he locks his knees and stays up. He brushes the bangs off his masters forehead and caresses his warm, flushed cheeks. “Have a good night, Slaine-sama.”

Harklight attempts to turn on his heels, only to be pulled harshly by the wrist. He falls on top of Slaine and Harklight tries to apologize instinctively. The grip on his wrist is hard and tight and he knows he’s going to regret this in a few hours.

A few hours come soon enough, or in Slaine’s terms, morning comes. There is no beautiful sunrise in the colour of Asseylum’s hair nor are there any sounds of birds singing in the morning, as Slaine had described to the sleeping princess on one of his visits. However, there is the scent of flowers and a kind of warmth Harklight hasn’t felt in years. Harklight finds himself snuggling closer to the flowers and really, he even considers excusing himself for the day.

Harklight almost jumps out of bed when he realizes that he is in bed with his master and this is most definitely punishable by death (at least in Harklight’s head). He tries to wriggle out of bed slowly, only to realize that his master has him locked in a tight embrace and his face buried deep into his chest.

Slaine stirs in his bed and Harklight freezes until Slaine finally unlocks his tight embrace. Harklight jumps out of bed in a second and disappears from his sleeping chambers, ignoring the questioning looks from his fellow mates.

It is lunch when Harklight meets his master again. 

He finds it hard to meet his master’s eyes as he passes some documents over for approval. Slaine does not say a word, not a good morning nor a good afternoon.

“I’ll take my leave now.” Harklight bows swiftly and turns on his heels, about to head back to the docking area.  
“Harklight.”

“Yes?”

“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”

Slaine looks up and meets Harklight’s eyes for the first time that morning.

“I slept well.”


End file.
